Emergency signs for automobiles



March 13, 1962 W. B. M LEA EMERGENCY SIGNS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 16, 1960 INVENTOR.

g6 M1 1/9/15 Afar/5,4 I 15 5 BY g I 16 O A? i O flrrae/vir 3,024,552 EMERGENCY SIGNS FOR AUTOMOBILES William B. MacLea, Longwood Road, Baltimore, Md. Filed May 16, 1960, Ser. No. 29,201 6 Claims. (Cl. 40-129) This invention relates to signs or signals, and more particularly to a portable distress sign or signal constructed to be attached to the window of an automobile.

As is well known, it frequently happens that, as a result of accident, mechanical failure, or exhaustion of fuel, a car is forced to stop on the side of a highway, and wait for help.

As is also well known, it is difficult to signal or attract the attention of passing motorists, unless the driver gets out of the car and stands on the roadside where he may be seen. This is very unpleasant, particularly in cold or stormy weather, and is also dangerous, especially for Women driving alone at night.

The general object of the invention is to provide means whereby the necessity for a stranded driver getting out of the car and standing by the roadside may the avoided. To this end I have devised an emergency sign or signal constructed to be supported on and conspicuously displayed from a car window, with the window fully closed, and which can be completely assembled and installed from inside the car.

A specific object of the invention is to devise a sign or signal for this purpose which will project out from the window at approximate right angles thereto, and is so constructed that it will not be substantially displaced from such position by winds of a strength ordinarily encountered.

Another specific object is to provide a sign or signal of this character, which, while highly wind-resistant, when in position, as above mentioned, may nevertheless be rolled into a relatively small package for storage, when not in use.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a sign or signal of the kind described which is extremely simple in construction, composed of a minimum number of parts, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional automobile body showing my improved sign mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a face view, on an enlarged scale, of the sign itself, a fragment of an automobile window being shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, on a still further enlarged scale, through the upper part of an automobile window, showing how my improved sign is supported thereon.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the interlock between the horizontal arm and vertical bar used to support my improved sign.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on an enlarged scale substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing my improved sign as it appears when rolled up for storage.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates the usual vertically adjustable window of an automobile while B designates the groove at the top of the window frame for receiving the window glass A.

My improved sign, designated in its entirety by the numeral 1, is made from an elongated rectangular piece of relatively stiff coated fabric folded transversely along its middle at 2. The longitudinal edges 3 and 5 adjacent the fold 2 and the opposite edge 4 are overstitched as indicated to hold the two thicknesses of fabric together.

3,024,552 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 The upper lefthand corner of the fabric sign is preferably beveled 01f as shown at 6 in FIG. 2.

Lines of stitching are formed along the upper side and lefthand end of the sign at points spaced a short distance from the overstitched edges 3 and 4 to form channels 7 and 8 to receive the supporting framework.

This framework comprises an arm 9 formed of relatively thin flat metal, which arm is given a half turn at 10 near one end, and adjacent this turn is formed into a book 11 adapted to fit over the upper edge of the window glass A as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It will be particularly noted that, as shown in FIG. 3, the material forming the hook 11 is sufiiciently thin so that this hook can enter the groove B at the top of the sash when the window is fully closed. Thus my improved supporting frame, when attached to the window, and projecting outwardly therefrom, does not interfere With the closing of the window.

The frame further comprises an arm 12 formed of a metal strip of substantially the same width and thickness as the arm 9, this metal strip being received in the channel 8 and beingformed at its upper end with a hook 13 which embraces the arm 9. Asshown in FIG. 5, this hook is preferably formed with a flaring lower end 14 and with a bump or dimple 15 adjacent the free end.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the upper edge of the arm 9 is formed with a notch 16 to receive the hook 13, so that when the arm and bar are assembled as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 the top of the hook 13 lies flush with the upper edge of the arm 9.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my improved fabric sign is supported in vertical position on the outside of an automobile window by means of the arm 9, and, by virtue of the fact that this arm has a relatively wide flat bearing on the window glass A, it is prevented from swinging laterally with respect thereto and is maintained in a position extending substantially at right angles to the window, as shown in FIG. 1.

The sign is maintained in substantially vertical position by means of the arm 12 which, by means of the construction above described, is non-rotatably connected with the arm 9 and thus cannot swing around the same. The material of which the sign is made, comprising a double thickness coated fabric, is relatively stiff and consequently is not substantially displaced by winds of a strength ordinarily encountered.

While I have shown my improved sign as supported on the upper edge of a vertically moving window glass, it will be understood that it may also be supported at the upper end of the usual ventilator window panel, such as indicated at C, and employed both in closed and convertible bodies. In this case the hook 11 would be clamped between the top of the swinging ventilator and the frame, so that the sign can be effectively displayed even on a convertible, with its .top down.

It will be observed that only two frame members 9 and 12 are employed to support the sign and to hold it in vertical position, and these two members are detachably connected as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Thus, when the sign is not in use and it is desired to store the same, the bar 12 is simply disconnected from the arm 9 and withdrawn from the channel 8. This having been done, the sign may be rolled up about the arm 9 as shown in FIG. 6 and the bar 12 slipped inside of it, with the hook portion 13 serving as a clip to maintain the sign in rolled condition.

What I claim is:

1. An emergency sign for automobiles having a vertically adjustable window, said sign comprising a rigid arm having at its end a hook constructed to engage over the upper edge of such window with the arm extending substantially horizontally outward therefrom, a bar non-rotatably connected at its upper end with said arm adjacent said hook and extending downwardly therefrom at substantial right angles thereto, and a flexible sheet supported in vertical position by said arm and bar, the lower edge of said sheet being free. I

2. An emergency sign for automobiles having a vertically adjustable window, said sign comprising a rigid arm having at its end a hook constructed to engage over the upper edge of such window with the arm extending substantially horizontally outward therefrom, a bar having a hook at its upper end detachably engaging over said arm at a point adjacent said first mentioned hook and said bar extending downwardly from said arm at substantial right angles thereto, and a flexible sheet supported in vertical position by said arm and bar.

3. An emergency sign for automobiles having a vertically adjustable window, said sign comprising a rigid arm having at its end a hook constructed to engage over the upper edge of such Window with the arm extending substantially horizontally outward therefrom, a bar having a hook at its upper end detachably engaging over said arm and said bar extending downwardly from said arm at substantial right angles thereto, said arm having in its upper edge a notch in which said last mentioned hook engages, and a flexible sheet supported in vertical position by said arm and bar.

4. An emergency sign for automobiles having a vertically adjustable window, said sign comprising a rigid arm having at its end a hook constructed to engage over the upper edge of such window with the arm extending substantially horizontally outward therefrom, a flexible sheet supported by and depending from said arm in vertical position, and a bar non-rotatably secured at its upper end to said arm and extending downwardly therefrom, said bar engaging one end of said sheet substantially throughout its width so as to hold it in position, the opposite end of said sheet being free.

5. An emergency sign comprising a rectangular sheet of flexible material having a channel formed along one side and one end, an arm extending through one channel and having at its end a hook constructed to engage over a fixed support, and a bar extending through the other channel and rigidly but detachably connected with said arm, whereby, when said bar is removed from its channel, said sheet may be rolled up about said arm.

6. An emergency sign comprising an elongated, rectangular sheet of coated fabric material folded transversely about its middle, the relatively stiff double fabric along one edge adjacent the fold and along the edge opposite the fold having channels formed therein between the thicknesses of fabric, a supporting arm extending through the channel along the first mentioned edge, and a reinforcing bar extending through the other channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,736 Wadsworth Sept. 13, 1921 2,534,117 Flick Dec. 12, 1950 2,933,841 Lawlor Apr. 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,141,424 France Sept. 2, 1957 whine-r 

